We use cookies and similar technologies on our websites and mobile applications to help provide you with the best possible online experience. By using our sites and apps, you agree that we may store and access cookies and similar technologies on your device.

Find out what telephone

fraud and vishing is, along

with how to spot and stop it

What is telephone fraud and vishing?

Telephone fraud and vishing are often unsolicited phone calls from fraudsters which encourage you to give out your personal details, such as your card, PIN, Mobile Banking App activation/passcodes or card reader codes.

Fraudsters may pretend to be from your bank

Fraudsters will call mobile phones or landlines pretending to be from your bank in order to get your personal information or ask you to move money from your personal bank account.

They may have some of your personal information

Such as name, address, or phone number, to make them seem genuine.

These calls will often seem urgent

To get you to act as quickly as possible, giving you minimal time to think about whether the call is fraudulent. The atmosphere and background noises can help the calls seem more convincing.

Sometimes you may get a 'warm up' call where no information is discussed.

This is to set the scene for a later call where you may be asked for information.

Examples of telephone fraud and vishing

Fraudsters might have done enough research about you to make you believe it’s a genuine call: “Is that John Smith speaking? Just going to confirm your personal details. Your address is … and your number is …”

Don’t trust a stranger who tells you to “act fast”. Fraudsters create a false sense of urgency so you have less time to think about what’s going on: “We want to get this sorted for you as quickly as possible, so if you can follow these instructions immediately...”

Fraudsters want to appear trustworthy, to make you feel as though they’re on your side. This is so that you’ll follow their instructions. This is sometimes known as a social engineering scam: “I know how stressful this must be for you, so I’m here to help and do everything I can to fix this.”

They might use words like “suspicious” to frighten you, without actually giving you any specific information about what’s happened: “We’ve detected some suspicious activity on your account.”

You may be told that there’s a ‘safe account’ for you to transfer your money to. This safe account can’t be trusted – you could be transferring your money straight to them: “We’ve set up a safe account where you can transfer your money.”

You might be asked to install software to protect your information. This gives the fraudsters access and control over your computer screen, so they can see you enter your financial details, like your card number or your Online Banking passcode: “Installing this protective software will prevent fraudulent activity on your account. Please install this and then log in to your Online Banking.”